Do you want to know what makes Lutherans For Life (LFL) a unique and effective ministry? I invite you to listen to this high school student.
“This is what we need to hear,” he said after I spoke to his school during chapel. “We had someone talk to us about abortion a while back and he tried to shock us with gory pictures. That doesn’t work with us. This is what we need to hear.”
The “this” he referred to was a message about the God-given value of human life. God gives value to human life because His hands created every life in the womb. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13 ESV). God gives value to every human life because the hands of Jesus stretched out on a cross and paid the price of redemption for every human life. “[Y]ou were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20a ESV). God gives value to every human life because He desires to call every life into an eternal relationship with Him. “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4 ESV).
Created, redeemed, called—that’s where the value of life comes from!
Comments from Those Not So Wise
Do you want to know why there is such an urgent need for LFL to keep sharing the “this” in our congregations and schools? Read on.
At the request of Concordia Publishing House, I authored the January 2014 devotions for Portals of Prayer. They asked me for 31 “life-affirming” devotions. The devotions have caused a bit of a stir. Portals of Prayer editors were accused of being “political” and of “advancing the pro-life agenda.” I was accused of “ramming abortion down our throats,” being “extreme,” and “obsessed.” One of the Portals of Prayer editors commented, “Your set of devotions have shown a light on how shallow many Christians are in any understanding of what it truly means to be life affirming.”
We have work to do! Only a deeper understanding of the “this”—the God-given value of human life—will raise people from their shallowness and help them realize the great need for Christians to be defending and speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Many groups focus on changing laws and getting pro-life people elected to office. That’s good. But LFL focuses on changing hearts and getting Lutherans to be “Gospel-motivated voices For Life.” Without the latter the former cannot be effective.
I invite you to partner with us in doing this. Your financial gift will help us continue to share this message using a variety of media resources reaching people of all ages. No gift is too small. Remember what Jesus did with a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish!
Ten Days of My Life
You also help us share the “this” by paying my salary! Now that may sound self-serving, but let me explain by sharing ten days of my life on a recent trip to California. During this trip the Lord opened many doors. I was able to preach to two congregations on Sunday mornings reaching 825 people. I taught a Bible study to over 200 people. During the week I spoke in five elementary schools and three high schools totaling over 2400 students. The elementary schools were also hosting dozens of Korean and Chinese students who heard the biblical, For Life message. I preached at chapel and did an evening presentation at Concordia University in Irvine reaching many students and faculty.
None of these entities had to pay me anything to do this because of the gifts of our supporters! Talk about “bang for your buck”! Think of the cumulative affect of touching the lives of all those students and teachers reaching, perhaps, all the way to Korea and China! Now multiply this by other weeks in other places as I continue my travels!
Our Staff and Their Lives
And mine is not the only salary that allows the “this” to be shared. Pastor Scott Licht, our national director, not only speaks and preaches, but assures that LFL’s ministry runs effectively and efficiently making optimal use of your gifts. Lowell Highby, our director of communications, formats and edits our brochures, manages our website, edits LifeDate, and much more reaching thousands of people. Lori Trinche, our mission and ministry coordinator, is in constant contact with our frontline volunteers and congregations advancing God’s life-affirming message all across the country. Laura Davis, director of Y4Life, our ministry to the younger generation, engages young people in a variety of settings and social media tapping their enthusiastic energy and equipping and motivating them to be voices For Life.
“This is what we need to hear.” I am thankful for the young man who made this statement. He is “right on”! Many, many people need to be lifted out of their shallowness and be motivated to see what God has done that gives value to human life. Many, many people need to be lifted out of their shallowness and be voices for those who cannot speak. Many, many people need to be moved to action to show compassion to the fearful and vulnerable.
So I ask once again that you join us as we serve the Lord of Life sharing the value of life He gives to us all. Please consider a special financial gift to Lutherans For Life.
“This” is what more people need to hear!
I kept the bad news for last. Thrivent Financial has ruled that LFL and other pro-life organizations—including crisis pregnancy centers—will no longer receive funds from, or through, any Thrivent program. You can read our response here. Not only does this deprive Thrivent members of the choice of supporting a life-affirming ministry, it has financial implications for us. We will now be losing over $2,500 each month in income. That is a significant amount. So if you have decided to support LFL with a gift, I boldly ask that you consider raising it just a little to help us with this shortfall. But whether you do or not, my thanks in advance for whatever you can do.